June 20, 2019
A majority of European workers (57 percent) believe that technology will help to bring about a four day week in the near future as it improves their productivity and efficiency, according to new research from Ricoh Europe (registration) which looks at employee attitudes towards the continent’s ongoing productivity challenge. More →
June 19, 2019
Having disrupted the property sector over the last decade, coworking continues to impact investors, developers and end users as the concept appears to be the dominant force in the commercial sector. Coworking can trace its roots back as far as the 1980s when Regus (now part of IWG) popularised the idea of a serviced office, by taking on leases of office buildings, subdividing the available space and leasing it out to small business, fully furnished and ready to rent. More →
June 18, 2019
Although around 1 in 7 people experience work-related mental health problems, a new survey claims that fewer than one in five people are confident about discussing mental health issues with colleagues. The survey of 1,000 people from insurance firm Protectivity claims that just 18 percent would be confident talking to their colleagues about their mental health. In addition, more than 1 in 10 people in the UK say they would feel embarrassed or ashamed of talking to their colleagues. The report concludes that not only is work needed to improve confidence but also the stigma of talking about mental health issues. More →
June 17, 2019
The practice of sharing workstations with fellow workers is making people increasingly unhappy, according to a survey of more than 1,000 office workers by real estate firm Savills, who for some reason still insist on referring to it as hot desking in spite of the fact that the idea covers a range of practices that are not hot desking. According to the firm’s study, a mere 12 percent of people believe sharing workstations with their colleagues make them more productive. Half claimed it made them less productive, compared to around a third in a related study two years ago. More →
June 14, 2019
As climate scientists issue increasingly stark warnings about the global environmental catastrophe that is increasingly likely within a very short time frame, Will Jennings issues a timely reminder in the Architects Journal that the greenest type of building is no building at all. And that is doubly so when the building we are talking about is The Tulip, which would clearly be a very bad idea at any time. The author takes particular exception to the glossy environmental pledges made by high profile architects when contrasted with the ugly, vacuous grandstanding typified by The Tulip. More →
June 12, 2019
New results from Wildgoose’s Flexible Working survey suggests that a significant number of UK employees are seeking out flexible working to better juggle life both in and out of work, without compromising productivity. The latest findings follow on from the organisation’s other successful insights surveys exploring diversity & inclusion and mental health in the workplace. More →
June 6, 2019
The majority of office employees (84 percent) believe good relationships with colleagues boost their quality of work, yet nearly three quarters (70 percent) admit to not knowing the people they work with very well, claims a new survey from Nespresso Professional. The study suggests that changing office environments and flexible working practices are not improving employees’ relationships with co-workers, or their creativity and output. More →
June 5, 2019
The world is changing. Often without sense, often at startling speed. I need not mention the ‘B word’. However, there is a risk that this volatility leads to us being too negative. Today, too many people are speaking with too much pessimism. Don’t believe me? Try logging onto Twitter. In these challenging times, we need to also look at our strengths and celebrate areas where things are going well. The UK’s workplaces sector is one example of this, as shown by the BCO’s recent regional awards. More →
June 3, 2019
When attending last year’s CoreNet Global Summit in Boston, there was a poll of the real estate executives gathered to discuss the key trends affecting the world of commercial property. During the event we were asked about our attitudes to coworking by the event organisers and Cushman & Wakefield. What emerged was a portrait of genuine revolution in real estate thinking. The number of employees from the respondents’ organisations using coworking space had doubled in the previous two years and now stood at around 11 percent of all employees. More →
June 3, 2019
As the workplace sector raises its profile and that of the key topics that define it and the world sets out to address the wide range of challenges for the way we live and work, some of them even vital for our existence, this might prove to be something of a seminal year and so it’s important to be out and about sharing ideas. Fortunately, you can find a full list of relevant happenings around the world on our Events page, the most comprehensive calendar of workplace related events in the world, in partnership with Herman Miller.
This upcoming month, June 2019 see a range of key topics addressed including wellbeing, sustainability, office design, coworking and acoustics. Here are a few of the best:
BCO Annual Conference
05 June 2019 – 07 June 2019
Copenhagen
RICS Digital Built Environment Conference 2019
05 June 2019
London
Wellbeing at Work
06 June 2019
New York
The Association of Noise Consultants annual conference
06 June 2019
Manchester
The Smart Conversations Workplace Conference
06 June 2019
Barcelona
BRE Wellness and Biophilia Symposium
06 June 2019 – 07 June 2019
Watford
Condeco Workplace Innovation Forum
06 June 2019
London
Neocon
10 June 2019 – 12 June 2019
Chicago
CIPD Festival of Work
12 June 2019 – 13 June 2019
London
Future of Work Summit 2019 – Embrace Change to Manage the new Workplace Reality
13 June 2019
London
Personal preferences in the modern office – with Dr Nigel Oseland
18 June 2019
London
IWFM Annual General Meeting (AGM) June 2019
20 June 2019
London
Workplace Week – New York
24 June 2019 – 28 June 2019
New York
Coworking London Conference 2019
27 June 2019 – 28 June 2019
London
May 31, 2019
The average career length is 50 years, and according to Gallup’s State of The Global Workplace report, during this time only 1 in 10 people are actively engaged. This illustrates that within the current landscape there is a need for companies to actively pursue strategies to better engage their employees. Embedding empathy in working culture is one way of achieving actively-engaged workers but it also has the added benefit of increasing productivity and business growth. This was revealed by a piece in the Harvard Business Review, which highlighted the top ten most empathetic companies outperformed the bottom ten by at least 50 percent in productivity, earnings and growth. More →
June 20, 2019
The case for a shorter working week
by Shainaz Firfiray • Comment, Wellbeing